What the hell do you get fined 10d for

[Gritstone]

Went into Brown's Folly the other day and noticed an inscription on a wall at the lower end of the passage between Clapham Junction and the connection with Middle Passage. It states that Quote, "Any man??????? In this beautiful hole during meal times will be fined 10d."
I couldn't for the life of me work out what the charge for the 10d fine was. Does anyone know what the fine was for? It's the only word I couldn't get and it's driving me nuts!

 

[AR]

That looks like "farting" to me

 

[Katie]

Fasting? Blasting?

 

[Gritstone]

That looks like "farting" to me

Thanks for that I can't not see it now, even if that's not what it says 😂

 

[mikem]

Surely that's Breakfast, not Beautiful - so it may be fasting...

Although some agree with AR (it does look like other r's):

Photo album - view photo

derbyscc.org.uk

 

[wellyjen]

That looks like "farting" to me

Unlikely. The writing style looks 17th to early 18th century to me. At that time, the penalty for farting was transportation for life to Botany Bay, not a 10d fine. The punishment for farting in the presence of ones betters was death by hanging (aggravated farting).

 

[Gritstone]

Unlikely. The writing style looks 17th to early 18th century to me. At that time, the penalty for farting was transportation for life to Botany Bay, not a 10d fine. The punishment for farting in the presence of ones betters was death by hanging (aggravated farting).

Wow Jen I'd have been throwing shrimps on the Barbie my entire life if id have been alive back then. However by the look of the dates around that area they were all around the 1900- 1940 mark. What was interesting though was that some of the mineing vandals in Browns Folly also put their graffiti in Kingsdown Quarry so they obviously had shared loyalties.

 

[Gritstone]

Surely that's Breakfast, not Beautiful - so it may be fasting...

Although some agree with AR (it does look like other r's):

Photo album - view photo

derbyscc.org.uk

Valid, it may well be that now you mention it, I was standing right in front of it and struggled with one word now I'm not sure I was right with at least two 🤣

 

[alastairgott]

A search on google for "breakfast hole during meal times" brings up a few results, one of which comes from DCC’s favourite hip hop member N-Dibz. He suggests trumpeting is the operative word.

 

[Gritstone]

A search on google for "breakfast hole during meal times" brings up a few results, one of which comes from DCC’s favourite hip hop member N-Dibz. He suggests trumpeting is the operative word.

Another way of saying farting then ?

 

[cseal]

Purely speculative but breakfast comes from 'break fast' i.e. to eat after fasting. So perhaps they called Clapham Junction the Breakfast Hole(Hall) as that's where they ate. In which case, farting during mealtimes would be unpleasant and seem like something that might be fined - especially if there isn't much draught to clear the air.

 

[Alex]

I guess this is why they call it Brown's folly. Perhaps someone followed through, hence the rule!